Grade Appeal Policy

I. Purpose

The purpose of the Grade Appeal Policy is to establish a consistent procedure by which students may seek review of final grades assigned in courses at 抖陰神器 College. Grades other than final course grades may not be appealed. The policy recognizes the right and responsibility of faculty members to exercise their professional judgment in evaluating academic performance, and the right of students to have their academic performance judged in a fair and impartial manner.

II. Definitions

In some courses a final grade may be jointly assigned by more than one faculty member. In such cases, the term 鈥渋nstructor鈥� as used in this policy refers to all faculty members who assigned the grade. Any instructor decision or action described in this policy must be by agreement among such faculty and communicated as a single response.

III. Grounds for appeal

A student may appeal a final course grade only on the grounds that:

  1. the grade was assigned based on a miscalculation or clerical error;
  2. the grading standards for the course were not clearly articulated by the instructor, or the grade was assigned in a manner inconsistent with articulated standards;
  3. the grade was assigned on some basis other than performance in the course; or
  4. the grade was assigned in a manner other than that used for other students in the course.

Students should follow the Policy Against Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct if they believe that it applies to them. At all levels of review, the burden of demonstrating that a grade should be changed rests with the student.

For undergraduate courses, the deadline for any grade change request is twelve (12) months after the last day of the semester in which the grade was originally assigned. For graduate courses, the deadline is three (3) months. It is the student鈥檚 responsibility to move the process forward in order that the deadline is met.

IV. Procedure for appeal

A student who wishes to have a final course grade changed must first submit a written appeal to the course instructor. The appeal must include the reason(s) why the student believes the grade should be changed and the grade that is sought; it may also include any relevant supporting evidence (i.e., syllabus and assignments). The instructor shall consult with the student and may consult with the department chair in attempting to resolve the dispute. If the instructor and the student reach agreement about the grade, the instructor shall provide the new grade to (1) the Registrar and (2) the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies (AP for UG) or program director for undergraduate and graduate courses, respectively. If the instructor and the student are unable to reach agreement about the grade, the instructor shall deny the appeal in writing to the student, including the reason(s) for the denial. The student may then appeal in writing to the AP for UG for undergraduate courses or the program director for graduate courses. If the graduate program director denies the appeal, the student may appeal in writing to the Associate Provost for Curriculum (AP for Curriculum).

The AP for UG or Curriculum may consult with the student as well as the instructor and department chair or program director as needed. If the AP for UG or Curriculum approves the grade change, they shall submit it to the Registrar, who will change the grade as directed. If the AP for UG or Curriculum does not approve the grade change, they shall respond to the instructor and the student in writing, explaining the decision. The AP for UG or Curriculum may use their discretion to alert the department chair or program director about the appeal and the outcome of the appeal. Appeals beyond the AP for UG or Curriculum will ONLY be considered by the Provost if the student can provide a reasonable basis to show that the procedure described in this policy was not followed.

V. Responsible office

For more information or if you have questions about this policy, please contact the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies at associateprovost@goucher.edu.

VI. History

Updated: March 2021, March 2022, January 2023

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